The Week Ahead: Full of Thanksgiving

When this is sent, I'll have had my family day.   At writing, I am sitting with my feet up, much needed after a day spent standing on them.  Cooking, baking, cleaning all ensued since early hours and didn't end until about 4pm.  I volunteered John to cook supper.  

The family is yet to arrive, the food yet to be eaten and the day yet to be enjoyed.  But somehow, when one week ends, I find I must start thinking of the week ahead.   I won't think of it at all starting tomorrow morning when I'm again busy and likely won't think about it again until Sunday when my son and grandchildren leave to head home.   I think it's better to have a plan now, rather than then.


Work:  

All the tasks on my work list for last week were pretty much taken care of.  That makes me feel good.  I am a very goal oriented sort of person.   

Zone 4 is porches, patio and shed.  I don't have much work to do on either porches or patio so I'll look to the shed.  One thing I need to do out there is sweep.  There are copious amounts of dead bugs there since the pest control guy sprayed it.   I'll also be bringing things from indoors back out to the shed as well as needing to check my Christmas Decorations out, so yeah, I'll definitely be in the shed this week!

But the shed isn't all the work I'll have to do.   It is Thanksgiving Week.  While we won't have a big family gathering here for the day, we will have a smaller dinner with Mama.   I'll need to do the prep work that goes with a holiday meal and then there will be the cooking.  

Pull up spent flowers and plants.

Prune roses.

Clean the house really well after everyone leaves this weekend.   Beds to strip and sheets to wash and floors to vacuum and furniture to put back in place.

I'm going to leave it at those things.  I'll be making meals at home all week long, 3 meals a day, 7 days a week.  I'll be doing the routine jobs as they present themselves. There's always something to do...

Put up my Christmas Tree.

Kitchen:

I wish I could say that my menu plan last week was as well followed as the work plan was...I flew by the seat of my pants most of the last week.  

I am cooking a turkey breast Saturday morning, but I don't know if I'll have leftovers or not, so I feel it's best to plan other meals.  If I do have leftovers, I'll probably plan to freeze them.

Finger foods, Turkey Breast for Sandwiches and if supper is wanted I'll figure it out.   My menu plan for this day:  Deviled Eggs, Zesty Oyster Crackers, Sausage Cheese Balls, Tortilla Ranch Pinwheels, Fruit Tray (apples and oranges), Chips with dip, Crudite with dip,  Turkey sandwiches, Apple Blondies, Chocolate Cake

Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Coleslaw

Mac and Cheese, Broccoli, Fruit Salad

Sausage, Apple,  and Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash, Fried Okra

Baked Potatoes, Broccoli with Cheese Sauce, Salad

Stuffed Roasted Chicken, Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Salad, Dressing, Gravy   Mama is making Green Beans and a cake and whatever else she wants to make.  I'd love to make a carrot cake but might hold off.  John would like a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, but we'll see how the sweets hold out over the weekend.  We don't need loads of things.

Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Rice, Green Salad  I do expect to have chicken leftover, at least enough to make this dish.

Leisure:

I'll continue reading.  If I finish either of the two books I'm embroiled in at the moment, I have three more by my chair to keep me company.

Remember all the porch sitting I meant to do last week?  One day.  ONE.  The week is meant to be fairly pleasant.  I'll try to take my coffee on the porch each afternoon that it's nice.  

Decorate the Christmas Tree.   I know I put this on the work list and here I'm repeating myself.   It's work but it's fun work.  I typically do this on Thanksgiving Night.

Spend a few minutes each evening admiring the Christmas Tree Lights.

Have the boys over for a morning.

5 comments:

Lana said...

I love that sort of finger food menu you had for family day. I used to do something similar for Christmas Eve but it was just too labor intensive on top of everything else. I hope you all had a great time together.

Our new little granddaughter was born on Thursday. She is the one that so many have prayed through since 20 weeks when she tried to be born too early. She actually went 39 weeks and weighed 8 pounds and five ounces! We are smitten with our Caroline Ann and are so blessed that she arrived full term and healthy.

Our son and his wife who were to come home for Thanksgiving backed out so our friends that we do small group with will come and we will share the cooking duties. This will actually make the day easier for me since I would have done it all if the kids had come home. These friends are in and out of our house all the time so we don't feel overwhelmed about cleaning and such.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Liz from New York said...

I must not have hit the publish button on my comment the other day. I thought it was adorable that your grandson thinks ‘New Yorker’s’ are so fancy😂😂 Please ask him , discreetly of course, why he thinks that! I love to hear kids answer stuff like that!! Best, liz

Best Bun said...

Terri

Hope you had a fun family gathering. Oh boy you're going into the SHED! Bet you'll put together a wreath. Comment is from an envious person who hasn't got a creative bone in her body! But I'm great at organizing and figuring out the finances. If not we'd be living in a box under the bypass.
Best wishes from Best Bun.

Anonymous said...

Hi Terri! Looking forward to hearing details about your family day. I hope it was a huge enjoyable memory-day. Not much going on here. Our governor (who is the subject of a huge recall effort)has put most of the state (including our county) on lockdown again and only six people can gather for Thanksgiving or the like, with a curfew in place from 10PM until 5AM. Frankly, it doesn't really affect us that much so I haven't noticed it but the young people are really getting the brunt of it and those with large families who wish to gather aren't loving it. We are spending the holiday with Rosie and her husband and his folks. (He's an only child.) They are very nice people and we get along well and socialize with them fairly often so it should be a pleasant day! It's a potluck of sorts, so the brunt of the work won't be falling on one or two people so that should make it less stressful. I'm off now to start supper for Mike. As always, thank you so much for your comfy, cozy writings.
Much love,
Tracey
x0x

terricheney said...

Lana, so much of what I made was do ahead that it wasn't a hardship at all. However, I think for the family Christmas I'd rather do a big casserole type dish, salad and dessert...Or go with John's suggestion and buy a couple of sandwich platters from Publix. We'll see.
Congratulations on the new baby. I'm sorry that you didn't get to see your son and the new baby, but I'm so glad she is healthy and here.
I hope you had a lovely, if intimate, Thanksgiving Day.

Liz, I think the problem is I sometimes approve comments on my phone and I've noticed they aren't showing up as approved! I'll try to post a picture of Josh's New York Turkey, lol. It turned out so cute. His parents helped him of course, but it was his vision and instruction that created it. I've no idea why he thinks New York folks are fancy, lol. All he watches is Sonic and Blippi!

Best Bun, no rigging up wreaths this year. In the past two years, I've bought a wreath in each year. So I'll stick with what I have at present, but I've got my eye out looking for ideas, lol.

Tracey, I hope you had a lovely day with Rosie and her husband and in-laws. I love collaborative dinners. Thank you so much for all you've done for ME. I've had my computer for a year now and am still very thankful for your and others help in getting it.